Comic strips in the
English Classroom
6th Teachers‘ Day 2009
Anke Lang
Comic strips in the English
Classroom
Problem of language teachers: constantly
searching for new innovative and
motivating authentic material to enhance
learning in the formal classroom
„ Publishers already put a lot of effort into
their compilation of the material they call
authentic
„
But: a textbook is made of material that
has been altered and simplified for the
learner.
„ Students should be exposed to authentic
material whenever possible
„ One authentic material that has been
explored over the past few years is the
comic strip
„
… In
the past it was believed that „comic books
were so educationally unsound that their use
would lead to mental stagnation“ (MacGregor,
1996, p. 7)
… Nowadays teachers and publishers have
realized that comic strips have a widespread
appeal to all age groups and levels of society
because they reflect authentic language and
culture.
… Comics
are the most widely read media
throughout the world – especially in Japan.
Inherent characteristics that make
comics so attractive as an
educational tool
a built-in desire to learn through comics
„ easy accessibility in daily newspapers
„ ingenious way in which this authentic
medium depicts real-life language, people
and society
„ variety of visual and lingustic elements
and codes that appeal to students with
different learning styles
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Comics can be used….
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to practice describing characters using
adjectives (e.g., Garfield is a very troublesome
cat)
to learn synonyms and antonyms to expand
vocabulary
to introduce culture-specific onomatopoeia
words that imitate what they represent (e.g.
'Drip, drip' for the sound of falling rain or leaking
pipes,
'Bang' representing the sound of something
crashing, etc.);
to practice writing direct speech (e.g., 'Hey,
move your car!') and reported speech (The man
told him to move his car.)
„ to introduce paralanguage (lexical items without
a written correlate)
(e.g., 'Uh-oh, you're in trouble now for lying to
Mom ';
'Pssst. What's the answer to number five on the
test '; ' Uh, let me see… ').
„
(Paralanguage is perhaps the most used, yet most pervasive, language form, and many teachers
are slow to introduce them because they are not aware of how much these items permeate
everyday language. Fortunately, comics are rich in paralanguage content.)
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to practice formation of different verb tenses
(i.e., changing the present tense of the action in
the strip to the past tense)
to practice telling the story of a sequentiallyordered comic strip that has been scrambled up;
to reinforce the use of time-sequence transition
words to maintain the unity of a paragraph or
story (e.g., First, the boy left for school. Next, he
. . .)
source: Davis, Randall S. Comics. A Multi-dimensional Teaching Aid in Integrated-skills Classes. Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, 3/ 1997.
Workshop „picture story
and comic strips“ – worksheet I
The suspect
- lesson planpre-reading activity (motivation, activation
of prior knowledge: pair work, class
discussion)
„
Put the jumbled pictures of the story back
in the correct order. Work with your
partner. Afterwards we will discuss your
results in class.
While-reading activity:
Oral story telling
(presentation and application I)
individual work, class discussion, pair work)
Task I: Compare your results with the story
on your worksheet II.
The Suspect
„
Task II (worksheet III): Choose the right
sentences to tell the story. Compare your
results in class and then read out the
correct sentences to your partner. Take
turns.
Find the right sentences and compare your
results in class.
(More than one sentence is correct per picture.)
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Picture 1:
Charles is looking for his tulips.
The flowers are not there anymore.
Charles is very glad about this fact.
Charles is staring at the tulip stalks.
Adverbs of time:_____________________________________________________
Picture 2:
Charles is very relaxed.
Charles is taking Lenny for a walk.
Lenny is happy.
Charles is showing Lenny the tulip stalks because he suspects Lenny to have eaten
the flowers.
Adverbs of time: ____________________________________________________
[...]
While-reading activity:
creating cohesion with adverbs of time
(presentation and application II:
class discussion, individual work, pair
work)
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Think of adverbs of time that can be used to link
elements at he beginning, in the middle and at the end of
the story. Then fill in the gaps on your worksheet with
correct adverbs.
Afterwards retell the story in the simple past to your
partner. Try not to use your worksheet, but use the
correct adverbs of time. Your partner has to make sure
that your are using the simple past and the correct
adverbs of time.
Post-reading activity:
Turning the picture into a comic.
(transfer I: class discussion,
individual work)
Discussion: What are the differences
between picture stories and comics?
„ Task: Change the picture story on your
worksheet into a comic strip, using speech
and thought balloons (for Charles and
Lenny) captions (using adverbs of time)
and sound words.
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Post-reading activity:
Telling the story in writing
and comparing it with the comic
strip)
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Homework:
Write down the story (using the new
adverbs of time) in the simple past and
find a title. Compare your written story and
your comic. What are important
differences between the two for the
reader?
adapted from: Doff, Sabine; Wanders, Mona. Stories with and without words. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 73/ 2005, 9-17.
Lesson Plan: The surprise
1.) Motivation:
„
task: Describe the message this
advertisement wants to convey.
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oral background information: The picture
story deals with dogs, too.
Presentation I (pictures 1 and 2):
Predicting the story
(individual work, pair work, group
discussion)
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task: Look at the two pictures and describe
them to your partner. Predict what might
be in the next pictures. Let´s then discuss
your ideas.
Presentation II (pictures 3 -6):
Spontaneous reactions
(pair work, group discussion)
„
task: Look at the pictures and talk about
them with your partner. Compare your
ideas from step one with this story.
Application I: Building up vocabulary
for (each picture of) the story
(pair work, group discussion)
„
worksheet and task: Look at the pictures
again and fill in the grid. Work with your
partner. Compare your results in class.
Picture Who?
What?
What
happened
?
(character
(actions)
s/ things)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Where
?
(places)
How?
(mood/
When?
behaviour) (time)
Application II: Creating a story by
answering questions
(individual work, pair work)
Worksheet (containing some questions for
each picture and task)
„ Additional task: Afterwards retell the story
to your partner. Start with „One day…“.
Use the worksheet only if necessary.
While you are talking, your partner has to
make sure that you use the simple past.
„
Transfer: Writing the story and
checking it carefully
(individual work)
„
homework: Write down the story and
check whether…
… each
picture is represented in your text
… It‘s written in the simple past
… there‘s an introduction and an end to the story
… there are thoughts, expectations, feelings
expressed in your text.
… there‘s
direct speech included to make it more
lively.
… it‘s a story that can be understood without
pictures.
adapted from: Doff, Sabine; Wanders, Mona. Stories with and without words. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 73/ 2005, 9-17.
SEK II: Shakespeare comics in the
English classroom
„
Comics can be used as an appetizer
… „Comics
can serve as a conduit to heavier
reading. […] It can help readers not only
develop the linguistic competence for harder
reading but can also develop an interest in
books“ (Krashen, 1993, p. 56)
Different approaches to work with
Shakespeare comics
Stand alone use: reading for enjoyment or
as a basis for a presentation
„ Reading aid
„ Language practice: style, grammar,
syntax, …
„ Panel analysis: (4 steps: description,
explanation, intention, evaluation)
„ Inter- and intra-genre comparisons
„ Jumbled panels
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Balloon filling
„ Drawing
„ Transformation of scenes into comics
„ Spoof (parodies)
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adapted from: Thaler, Engelbert. The Bard goes Cartoon. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 73/ 2005, 37-43.
The Worker's (perhaps Teacher?)
Soliloquy by Mike Miu
To work, or not to work, that is the question:
Whether it is better to stay at home with the television,
Munching on chips and gulping on root beer,
Or continue with the ever troublesome job,
An by opposing, get fired. To eat, to watch,
No more, and by working hard, we will earn that
Pleasing, satisfying, all-good paycheck
That will be spent in less than a week
Devoutly to all of the personal needs and wants.
To eat, to watch;
To watch; the minutes ticking before racing out of the house; ay, I am late;
Many insolent words from the Boss, not to be delayed again,
For who could endure the yells and screams of the little rascals,
The numerous demands from co-workers,
Aches and pains of marking hundreds of papers, cross and swoosh?
And that desperate grumble in my stomach, will finally met,
When the tasks have been completed, only one place left to go,
Which is my sweet home, where dinner will be waiting, television will be on.
With this tremendous day finally over,
Another will soon arrive. (http://www.angelfire.com/oh/Pretzel/Parody.html)
Aims
„Wenn Shakespeare mehr als zu
verwahrendes
Kulturgut
wird
und
SchülerInnen persönliche Beziehungen zu
ihm aufbauen können, wo doch schon
Garfield oder Calvin and Hobbes sich mit
ihm beschäftigen, kann ihre Bereitschaft
verstärkt werden, sprachliche Barrieren zu
überspringen und sich Shakespeare
persönlich anzueignen.“ (Thaler, 2005, p.
42)
„Ein Unterricht, der sich durch Schülernähe
auszeichnen möchte und die Schülerinnen
und Schüler in ihrem Lebensumfeld
abholt, sollte […] mit neuen Medien und
Methoden neue Zugänge zu Shakespeare
erproben.“ (Klose, 2000, p.4)
„
„Dazu zählt ein Englischunterricht mit
Comics, der das Denkmal von seinem
Sockel holt, seine subjektive Valenz für
den Lernenden vor Augen führt, dadurch
seine universelle Bedeutung noch
erweitert und somit das Fundament des
Denkmals stabilisiert.“ (Thaler, 2005, p.42)
Garfield‘s Romeo and Juliet
(source: Thaler, Engelbert. The Bard goes Cartoon. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 73/ 2005, 43.)
Romeo and Juliet (Original Text)
(source: http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/freedownloads.html)
Romeo and Juliet (Quick Text)
with reduced dialogue for rapid, easier
reading
((source: http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/freedownloads.html))
Romeo and Juliet
(Plain Text: translated into plain English)
(source: http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/freedownloads.html)
Romeo and Juliet (No Text)
with empty speech balloons to fill in the
dialogue
(source: http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/freedownloads.html)
Romeo and Juliet
(Teacher Resources)
source: http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/freedownloads.html
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CONTENTS
LANGUAGE
Metaphors & Similes ....................................................................................................................4
Missing Words .............................................................................................................................6
How Insulting! ..............................................................................................................................7
Shakespeare’s Language........................................................................................................... 9
Word Search ..............................................................................................................................11
CHARACTER
Character & Motivation ...............................................................................................................12
PLOT AND THEMES
Ideas, Themes & Issues -Mind maps .........................................................................................13
What Happens Next?..................................................................................................................14
PERFORMANCE
Performing a speech from the Play ............................................................................................17
ART
Colour Me In ...............................................................................................................................19
ANSWERS
Word Search Solution .................................................................................................................21
Bibliography
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Davis, Randall S. Comics. A Multi-dimensional
Teaching Aid in Integrated-skills Classes.
Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, 3/
1997.
Doff, Sabine; Wanders, Mona. Stories with and
without words. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht
Englisch 73/ 2005, 9-17.
Klose, Hartmut. He writes real people. Der
Fremdsprachliche Unterricht 46/ 2000, 4-9.
Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Reading.
Englewood 1993.
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MacGregor, H. E. Japanese are crazy for their
comic books. The Daily Yomiuri, 2/ 1996, 7.
Schüwer, Martin. Teaching Comics. Die
unentdeckten Potenziale der grafischen
Literatur. Der Fremdsprachliche Unterricht
Englisch 73/ 2005, 2-8.
Thaler, Engelbert. The Bard goes Cartoon. Der
Fremdsprachliche Unterricht Englisch 73/ 2005,
37-43.
Free downloads of Shakepeare Comics
with Teacher Resources
„
http://www.classicalcomics.com/education/
freedownloads.html